Mixer capsule

Abstract

A mixer capsule, especially for the production of dental materials, comprising a cartridge ( 10 ) that is closed on one end by a piston ( 12 ). The piston has a hemispherical recess ( 12 ) that forms a chamber and is closed off from the main chamber ( 18 ) of the cartridge ( 10 ) by means of a separating device ( 16 ). A body ( 20 ) that is provided in the initial state in the main chamber ( 18 ) is used to facilitate the mixing process and to penetrate the separating device ( 16 ) at the beginning of the process, whereby the main chamber ( 18 ) and the subsidiary chamber ( 17 ) form a single mixing area. At the end of the output process, the body ( 20 ) enters the hemispherical subsidiary chamber ( 17 ) and acts as a displacer.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A mixer capsule, comprising: 
       a main chamber for holding a first component, said chamber having a discharge spout at one end and being sealed at its other end by means of a piston,  
       an auxiliary chamber in the piston for holding a second component,  
       a body disposed in the main chamber and which can move freely therein, and  
       a separating device which separates the auxiliary chamber from the main chamber and through which the body can penetrate from the main chamber to the auxiliary chamber when the capsule is agitated, the auxiliary chamber and the body being configured in such a way that when the components are to be discharged, the body can enter the auxiliary chamber as a displacement body.  
     
     
       2. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the body is spherical. 
     
     
       3. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the separating device contains at least one desired breaking point. 
     
     
       4. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the discharge spout is disposed eccentrically to the main chamber. 
     
     
       5. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising at least one channel which opens into the discharge spout formed in an end wall of the main chamber which is provided with the discharge spout. 
     
     
       6. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the separating device acts as a cushion for holding a third component. 
     
     
       7. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the separating device comprises at least one of a metal-containing foil, a hydrocarbon-containing layer, and a ceramic barrier layer. 
     
     
       8. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the ceramic is SiO x . 
     
     
       9. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the piston comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metal, glass, ceramic, plastic, plastic-coated metal, plastic-coated glass, plastic-coated ceramic, and metalized plastic. 
     
     
       10. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the body comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, PTFE, plastic-coated metal, and stainless steel. 
     
     
       11. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second component is a solid or a liquid. 
     
     
       12. The mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said components are dental materials. 
     
     
       13. A mixer unit including the mixer capsule as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. A mixer capsule comprising a main chamber for holding a first component, said chamber having a discharge spout at one end and being sealed at its other end by means of a piston, an auxiliary chamber in the piston for holding a second component, 
       a spherical body disposed in the main chamber and which can move freely therein, and  
       a separating device which separates the auxiliary chamber from the main chamber and through which the body can penetrate, the auxiliary chamber and the body being configured in such a way that when the components are to be discharged, the body can enter the auxiliary chamber as a displacement body,  
       wherein the auxiliary chamber is substantially in the shape of a hemisphere with a radius which is slightly larger than that of the body.  
     
     
       15. A mixer capsule comprising a main chamber for holding a first component, said chamber having a discharge spout at one end and being sealed at its other end by means of a piston, an auxiliary chamber in the piston for holding a second component, 
       a body disposed in the main chamber and which can move freely therein, and  
       a separating device which separates the auxiliary chamber from the main chamber and through which the body can penetrate, the auxiliary chamber and the body being configured in such a way that when the components are to be discharged, the body can enter the auxiliary chamber as a displacement body,  
       wherein the auxiliary chamber has an inner wall, the piston comprises an annular surface which delimits the auxiliary chamber with a transition between the annular surface and the inner wall of the auxiliary chamber, the transition between the annular surface and the auxiliary chamber having at least one of a sharp-edged region and a rounded region, and wherein the separating device adheres to said annular surface.